Social Psychology Chapter 2

Question 1

why learn research methods

Answer 1

to become a better to consumer and to better understand findings of research in this and other literature

Question 2

hypothesis

Answer 2

explicit, testable prediction

Question 3

theory

Answer 3

organized set of principles to explain observed phenomena

Question 4

basic research

Answer 4

increase understanding of human behavior through testing hypothesis from a specific theory

Question 5

applied research

Answer 5

practical application and solutions to world problems

Question 6

conceptual variables

Answer 6

variables of a hypothesis that are general

Question 7

operational definitions (variable)

Answer 7

necessary to describe the variables for the purpose of study to manipulate and measure it

Question 8

Most often used measurements of variables

Answer 8

self-reports and observations

Question 9

self reports

Answer 9

explore and question a specific variable but are not always reliable because they can be inaccurate or misleading and affected by the way questions are asked

Question 10

Bogus pipeline technique

Answer 10

utilized to minimize our natural inclination during self-reports to pain ourselves in a better light–leads participants to believe that their responses are measured by a lie detector of sorts

Question 11

Interrater reliability

Answer 11

the degree to which different observers agree on their observations

Question 12

social psychologist develop ideas

Answer 12

not just to support their ideas but in ways that can possibly prove them wrong

Question 13

Descriptive research

Answer 13

to describe people and their thoughts, feelings and behaviors

Question 14

Archival studies

Answer 14

examination of existing records of past events and behaviors (best for examining cultural and historic trends)

Question 15

Surveys

Answer 15

selection of participants (population) random sampling is best

Question 16

confederate

Answer 16

People who act as thought they are participants in an experiment but are really working for the experimenter

Question 17

mundane realism

Answer 17

extent to which the experiment mimics the real world setting

Question 18

deception

Answer 18

providing participants with fake information about experimental procedures

Question 19

confound

Answer 19

other factor that varies consistently along with the manipulation

Question 20

correlation coefficient

Answer 20

measures the relationship between two variables including the strength and direction of the relationship with ranges between -1 and +1

Question 21

correlation research

Answer 21

research that measures relationship or correlation

Question 22

debriefing

Answer 22

discussion with participants after the experiment that discloses methods and nature of research

Question 23

dependent variable

Answer 23

the variable in an experiment that is acted upon by the variable that is manipulated

Question 24

independent variable

Answer 24

the variable in an experiment that is manipulated

Question 25

external validity

Answer 25

the degree to which there can be a reasonable confidence that the results of a study would be obtained for other people and in other situations

Question 26

informed consent

Answer 26

an individuals deliberate, voluntary decision to participate in research, based on the researcher’s description of what will be required during such participation

Question 27

internal validity

Answer 27

the degree to which there can be a reasonable certainty that the independent variables in an experiment caused the effects obtained on the dependent variables

Question 28

interrater reliability

Answer 28

the degree to which different observers agree on their observations

Question 29

meta-analysis

Answer 29

testing of hypotheses by way of using a set of statistical procedures, in a new way, relevant research that has already been conducted

Question 30

random assignment

Answer 30

a method of assigning participants to the various conditions of an experiment so that each participant in the experiment has an equal chance of being in any of the conditions

Question 31

random sampling

Answer 31

a method of selecting participants for a study so that everyone in a population has an equal chance of being in the study

Question 32

subject variable

Answer 32

a variable hat characterizes preexisting differences among the participants in a study